Pneumatic thread holder for looms



Dec. 23, 1941. R. G. 'TURNER 2,267,481

PNEUMATIC THREAD HOLDER FOR LOOMS Filed Jan. 4, 1940 W \NVENTOR RlCHARDG. TURNER ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 23, 1941 I UNITED smrsls Aren't"oFri-ca PNEUMATic THREAD HOLDERFOE nooMs RichardiG..Tu1-ner,:Wcnczester; Massl, assignon to Grompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester,Masse, a: corporation of Massachusetts.

fipplieationJa-nuary l, 19 40; sedative-312394 11- Claims. .(Ql. 1139-247)! plieationand alsodn another Patent No...2,1'99;354

the threads are" led to' a .metallic. receiver'jand intor a softj"ru'l'zbertube held by a rigid" holder. In weft replenishing, mechanismsof. the multicolor type thebobbins? descend" in the magazine toward atransfer pjosition At the time of. trans fer the b obbi'n is, subjectedto a sudden downward motion into-- the shuttle with attendant strain ontll'e' thr'ead: extending' from it; into the" thread holder-s Pfthisstrain is sufficient to. break the thread the loom-will-stopon the nextpick after transfer. Even-if the thread" remains intact durirlgtransferit is subjected to a second" strain atthe 't'ime'of pieking dueto'the fact'that the shuttle eyej is not yet threaded: Under'eit'herv ofthese conditions it is' desirable that the, thread shall be free--to-yie1"d sufliciently-to relieve any strains; incident either-totransfer or picking.

Itanirhportant object of my present invention to provide a thread holderhaving a, yieldable part which-"isnormally extended in a direction.transverse-of the threads leading frompthe reserve bebhin's but movabletoward the magazine. in. responsetdstrains' in the thread to preventbreak= ageof-the latter". I v I thetime ofipicking the threadof; thefreshly ti'arlsfer-i"ed bobbin extending into the thread toner iesubjected to a strain tending 1 to pull it" out of thethread holder. Itis a' further object' of 'my presentinventionto provide the thread?holder with aportion which will bend in such a direction as to increasethe frictional contact? between the thread of the freshly transferredbobbin andthe'thread holder: The extentof the bending will" depend uponthe amount of the. strain; a relatively large thread strain. causingsufficient bending, of' the thread holder part to insure contacttherewith of. a considerable length. ofthread". These results I" mayachieve by using. a" soft" rubber. tube projecting from. a support and.bendabletoward; the magazine. v

Manymomsj areprovi'de'd. with a sO-calledoenter'" filling; stop motionhaving. a fork carried. on

forward" beat of thlay. It is" desirable that the thread of the" freshlytransferred bobbin be led under thefork to insure continued" 100moperation'and it is a'furtli er object of my presentin- '5 ventiontoprovide a; yieldable thread holder whi'ch- Will act during" the flightof the shuttle across the 10cm tofiniove the thread forwardly andtherebyassistin placing it under the filling fork.

1 d It'is-a further objectof my invention to mount one end of aresilient tube on a thread. holder and permit the other endto extendfreely without support so that it will vibrate under loom operation and"havethe effect of spacing the threadends which enter it.

With these and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, my invention resides inthe combination andarrangement' of partshereinafterdescribed and setforth;

In the accompanying; drawing; wherein a con venient embodiment of myinventionis set forth,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a magazine and pneumaticthread holder made. accordingto my present invention,

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on line 22' of Fig. 1'; Fig. 3*i's adetail Vertical section" on line 3 3 ofFi'gi 2, a i y Fig; 4-"is anenlarged front elevation of the tube f orniing an important part of mypresent inventt'on,

Figs. and 6' are diagrammatic plan views of. the layshowing the actionof my thread holder during flight of the shuttle on the first pick after3 transfer,

Fig. '7- isan" enlarged'horizontal section through the flexibl'etubeillustrating the manner in which. the same bends toincrease frictionalcontact with the thread attached to the bobbin being. trans- 40 ferred,and

Fig, 8 is a detail side. elevation of the, yielding; tube anclthreadguard looking in the directionof arrow, 8, Fig. 1.

Referring to Fig. l, Ihave shown. areserve 4o bobbin magazine M. havingreserve bobbins B therein from which extend weft. ends W. The bobbinsdescend in well-known mannertoward a transfer position wherethey are.pushed into a depleted shuttle by well known transfer mecham'smnot shownherein but operating in the usual.

The interior of the cylinder It communicates byv thelayto be lowered onthe thread during'thefifi' means of a hose I2 with a pump not shown butset forth in my patents previously mentioned and effective to createsub-atmospheric pressures within the cylinder I 0.

As shown diagrammatically in Figs. 5 and 6 the loom L comprises a breastbeam l5 and a lay l6 which reciprocates in usual manner toward and fromthe breast beam. A shuttle S is picked by well-known mechanism back andforth across the lay, a picker I! being shown in Fig. 5 for thispurpose. A fixed air pump I8 is driven from the lay as by a connector l9and is attached to the tube |2 so that during reciprocation of the laysub-atmospheric pressures will be created in the tube I2 and in theaccumulator on the backward stroke of the lay, all as set forth in mypreviously mentioned patents. A filling fork 20 of the usualconstruction has rearwardly extending tines 2| located between theselvages of the cloth designated at C. The reed 22 guides tht shuttleacross the loom and the tines 2| termimate a short distance in front ofthe reed.

The matter thus far described may be of the usual construction andoperate in the usual manner. The sub-atmospheric pressures existingwithin the cylinder ID will be created periodically although I am notlimited in the practice of my invention to this particular procedure andthe bobbins will descend to transfer position one by one. At the time oftransfer the bobbin in transfer position will be pushed into the shuttleS by a downward motion which is likely to stress its weft end W. Veryshortly after transfer the shuttle will be picked to the opposite orleft hand side of the loom, as viewed in Figs. 5 and 6, and the threadwill again be subjected to a stress created by motion of the shuttleaway from the magazine end of the loom.

In carrying my invention into effect I provide a. form of inlet for thethread accumulator which can yield in response to the strains set up inthe weft thread of the freshly transferred bobbin existing both at thetime of transfer and the immediately ensuing pick. In carrying myinvention into effect I provide the base 30 of the accumulator which issupported by the stand II with a bore 3| extending horizontallyforwardly and insert into this bore a flexible soft rubber tube 32. Therear end of the bore may be inclined upwardly as at 33 to produce aslight upward curvature in the rear or right end of the tube 32 asviewed in Fig. 3. The forward end of the tube projects forwardly fromthe base and has the bore 34 thereof reduced slightly at its mouth 35 byan internal rim or flange designated at 36 for the purpose of requiringany threads which enter the mouth and extend toward the accumulator tohave a portion of their length spaced from the adjacent interior wallsof the tube.

A thread guard designated at 40 has a foot 4| be drawn into the mouth 35by suction. The threads will ordinarily and preferably be long enough toextend into the cylinder l0 to become entangled with a mass of yarn Ylocated within the cylinder 10 as set forth in my previously mentionedPatent No. 2,199,354. The horns 44 are sufficiently wide to prevent thethread ends from wrapping around them when being drawn into the tube 32.

During transfer, any tension which may be created in the weft thread ofthe bobbin being transferred will tend to bend the tube 32 toward themagazine, curving the tube in the manner suggested in Figs. 5 and '7 toprevent breakage of the thread. On the immediately following pick asecond stress may be set up in the thread which may cause furtherbending of the tube, but unwinding of the thread from its bobbin duringshuttle flight will tend to produce suflicient slack in the thread sothat the tube 32 can return from the dotted to the full line position inFig. 6. When returning to normal position the tube 32 will move itsmouth, and therefore the thread in it, forwardly from the dotted lineposition 50 of Fig. 6 to the full line position 5|. This forward motionof the thread places it under the filling fork to support the tines 2|and permit continued loom operation.

By referring to Fig. 7 it will be seen that when the tube 32 bendstoward the magazine the left hand part of the bore 34 thereof is convexand thread W must therefore lie along a considerable length of theinterior of the rubber tube. Because of the high frictional resistancewhich the rubber offers to slipping of the thread the latter will beheld closely against the interior of the tube and cause bending of thelatter. It is to be understood, however, that the bending of the tubemay not necessarily depend upon this frictional engagement with thethread, inasmuch as the latter will ordinarily be entangled withextending along and secured to the base 30 as by a screw 42. The guardextends forwardly and has a horizontal platform 43 from one side ofwhich project upwardly a pair of spaced horns 44 defining between them athread receiving notch 45. The relation between these notches and theend of tube 32 may be as set forth in Fig. 8, and it is to be understoodfrom an inspection of Fig. 1 that the horns are located on that side ofthe tube opposite the magazine where they will not interfere with anyflexing of the tube toward the reserve bobbins.

In operation, after fresh bobbins have been inserted into the magazine,the operator will lay the Weft ends W in the notch 45 and they will themass of yarn Y in the accumulator and therefore be anchored within thecylinder I0.

I have found in actual operation that the tubular thread holder tends tohold the threads in the spaced relationship shown in Fig. 4, because ofthe fact that the forward free and unsupported end of the soft rubbertube 32 tends to vibrate under loom operation and thus efiect constantreadjustment of the threads to prevent their permanent entanglement.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a pneumaticthread holder having a yieldable intake member projecting normally in adirection transverse of the weft ends W and bendable toward the magazineto relieve any strains which may be created in the, weft thread of thebobbin being transferred, either at the time of transfer or the pickimmediately thereafter. It will also be seen that the bending of thetube 32 insures close frictional contact between the thread and theinterior of the tube, thereby increasing the holding effort which thetube exerts on the thread. The tube 32 may be made either of natural orartificial rubber or similar material. Furthermore, the flange 36 nearthe mouth of the tube 32 spaces the threads for a short distance atleast from the internal bore of a rubber tube, thereby permitting theinrush ing air to reach all sides of the thread and direct it toward thecylinder I0. Also, the forward return motion of the tube from the dottedto theage-onset stop motion' Itwill ilurther be seen that theresilienttube is so mountedasto have afree end which vibrates during"lbomoperation and'- that the eitect of this vibration is to' space the-weft ends and preventthem: from becomingentang-l'ed;

Having thus described my inven-t'iz m it will be seen: that changes andmod'i fibations-may be mad'e therein by those skilled in the art withoutdepartingfiomthespirit andsoope'of theinvention and- I do: notwish: tbb'e limited to the details herein disclosed; but what Ii'oiaim is:

121m a; weft replenishing loom: having allay and: au filling fork:extending: rearwardly: toward theme/17h: of the shuttle-Ltd berep-lenished 'fronr a magazine: of: reserve: bobbins and: subsequentlypicked in a-L direction from said. group: toward i the fork; the.reserve=bobbinsr havingrweft ends: on tending-.ztherefrom, toward a.-support mountede on the: loom i adj acenta the." magazine; that:improvemeat comprising arnel'astictubularthreadeholder whencimnormalpositionprojectsiforwardly from: the supportzirr a; direotiontransverse: of the weft ends ,and opposite 7110 the: directionsina whichthe: fork projects; said :threadhoider bending: to, ward, the; groupof;reserve; bobbins and. toward the pathmf'. the shuttle: when tens-ion iscreated in: the weft: end of a reserve: bobbin" transferred into;thershuttle: and-then picked towardtheafork; return,- ot the; tubularthread holder to normal positionmoving; said; weft end-1forward'l3nto"vas-. sist.= in r placing said; thread under: said fork- ,1

2r. Ina weft replenishingdoom havinga magazinelprovidedr with reservebobbins from which weftrthreads extend; toward a support mounted on theloom adjacent the magazine;.the1loom also, having, provision fortransferring" a; reserve bobbin from themagazine; into an; exhaustedshuttle; that. improvement; which comprises a: re-v silientl hollow:member projecting: from the: sup:- port normally;-

a' direction transverse of" the weft threads: whichextend fromtherreserve bob"- bins toward. thesupport and; means to: createsubratmospheric pressures: within; the hollow member to. .dra-w-:theweftlthreads thereinto, the

hollow memberivieldinginiadirection towardthe,

reserve bobbins in response. to tension created in theweitthreadbta!bobbinibeingtransferred into. the shuttle to, reduce the. liability;of-r breakage of the last named; weft. thread...

3. In a weft replenishing loom having;a -maga zine provided with reservebobbins fromwhich weft threads: extend: toward. a supportmounted on the100m adjacent the magazine, the loom havinga' thread accumulatorcontaining a mass of yarn and having means to create sub-atmosphericpressures within the accumulator, the loom also having provision fortransferring a reserve bobbin from the magazine into an exhaustedshuttle, that improvement which comprises a soft and elastic tubularmember projecting from the accumulator in a direction normallytransverse of the direction in which the weft threads extend from thereserve bobbins toward the support and having the interior thereof inpneumatic communication with the interior of the accumulator,sub-atmospheric pressures within the accumulator creatingsub-atmospheric pressures within the tubular member to draw the weftthreads of the reserve bobbins into said tubular member and entanglethem with the mass of yarn in the accumulator, the tubular memberyielding toward the reserve bobbins in response to tension created in aweft thread extending from the mass of yarn to a reserve bobbin beinginserted into the exhausted shuttle.

- 41 In a-weftrreplenishingcloomzhaving amagazine providedwith-ireserve: bobbins from which weft threads extend toward: a supportmounted om the loom adjacent the magazine, the: loom having athreadaccumulator containing a mass at and having: means to create subatmospheric pressures within the accumulator; the-loom al'so having=provisionfortransferring a reserve bobbin frorn themagazineintoanexhausted shuttle; that-improvement which comprises or soft rubbertube projecting from the accumulatorin a direction normally-- transverseof the dime-- tion in which the weftcthreads extend from the reservebobbins toward 1 the I support, the interior of he rubbertubecommunicating pneumatically with the interior of the accumulator:sothatsub-= atmospheric pressures: within the accumulator wilt create:sub-atmosphericpressures Within the rubber tube towdraw the weftthreads: into said rubber: tube: to entangle saidweft threads with themassof yarn-in the aecum-ulator-and=exert a: normal tension on said-weftthreads, saiol rubber tube yiel'dable because of its resilience towardthe reserve bobbinswhen any thread extending from the reserve bobbinsinto thetube is sub-- jected toabnorma-l tension.

In aweft replenishing-doom havinga magazine provided with agroup ofreserve bobbins from which weft threads extend toward a support mounted?Orr the l'oomadjacent the magazine; and -Iwiherein -a depletedshuttle-is-replenished with ahreser-ve bob-bin drawn from the-magazineandsubsequently picked in adirection away from the= magazine andsupport; that improvement which. comprises a hollow elasticmemberprojecting from the support normally in a direction trans-verse of thedirection in which the weft threads extend from: the reserve bobbinstoward said. support; and meansto create sub-atmospheric pressures:within: the; hollow member to draw the weft: threads intosaid member;thelatter yielding in a direction towarda the reserve bobbins when the'thread of a reserve 1 bobbin with which the shuttle; has beenreplenished is: subjectedzto;v tensionvincidentto pickingof the shuttlea direction. away: from the. magazine and support;

In alweft': replenishing loomhaving a: mega-Q zine; provided" with: a:plurality of reserve bobbins from: which=weftnthreads extend toward asupport mounted: on the loom adjacent the magazine, the, looma operatingwith a shuttle to be replenished. when exhaustedofweft with a bob binfrom the magazine and subsequently picked in a direction from a positionadjacent to the magazine opposite to the direction in which the weftthreads extend from the reserve bobbins toward the support, thatimprovement which comprises a soft rubber tube projecting from thesupport in a direction transverse of the weft threads, and means tocreate sub-atmospheric pressures within the rubber tube to draw the weftthreads thereinto and hold said weft threads in the rubber tube, thelatter yieldable in a direction toward the reserve bobbins when the weftthread of the bobbin with which the shuttle has been replenished issubjected to tension incident to picking the shuttle.

'7. In a weft replenishing loom having a magazine provided with reservebobbins from which weft threads extend toward a support mounted on theloom adjacent the magazine, that improvement; which comprises a tubularmember including elastic rubber in its construction and mounted on thesupport and projecting therefrom in a direction normally transverse ofthe direction in which the weft threads extend from the reserve bobbinstoward the support, and means to create sub-atmospheric pressures withinthe tubular member to draw the weft threads into and hold them in thetubular member under a normal tension, said tubular memberyieldingtoward the reserve bobbins when an abnormal tension exists inany thread extending from a reserve bobbin into said tubular member andthe latter bending to assume a curved form and thereby cause closecontact between the thread under abnormal tension and an interiorsurface of the tubular member extending along a relatively long surfaceof said tubular member.

8. In a weft replenishing loom having a magazine provided with reservebobbins from which weft threads extend toward a support mounted on theloom adjacent the magazine, that improvement which comprises a resilienttube having an intake mouth and projecting normally from the support ina direction transverse of the weft ends, and having an internal bore ofgiven diameter, a flange extending around the intake mouth and providinga thread receiving orifice of a diameter less than said given diameter,and means to create sub-atmospheric pressures within the yieldable tubeto draw the weft threads through the orifice and into the yieldabletube, and said flange holding the weft threads spaced from that part ofthe internal bore of the resilient tube adjacent to said flange, wherebyair drawn into the tube acts on all sides of the weft threads extendingfrom the flange into said tube.

9. In a weft replenishing loom having a lay and a filling fork extendingrearwardly toward the path of the shuttle along the lay, the loom havinga magazine provided with a group of reserve bobbins from which weftthreads extend toward a support mounted on the loom adjacent themagazine, the shuttle to be replenished with a reserve bobbin from themagazine and subsequently picked in a direction from the magazine towardthe fork, and the support being on that side of the magazine oppositethe fork, that improvement which comprises a resilient tubular memberprojecting from the support in a directiontransverse of the weft threadswhich extend from the magazine toward the support, and means to createsub-atmospheric pressures within the tubular member to draw the weftthreads into said tubular member, tension in the weft thread of a bobbininserted into the shuttle which is subsequently picked toward the forkcausing said tubular member to move to an abnormal position and in adirection toward the magazine and toward the shuttle path, return of thetubular member to normal position moving the weft thread in a directionwhich assists placement of the thread of the bobbin which has beeninserted into the shuttle under the fork.

10. In a weft replenishing loom having a magazine provided with reservebobbins from which weft threads extend toward a support mounted on theloom adjacent to the magazine, that improvement which comprises aresilient tubular member one end of which is held by the support and theother end of which is free from the support and extends away from thelatter in a direction transverse of the direction in which the weftthreads extend from the reserve bobbins toward the support, and means tocreate sub-atmospheric pressures within the tubular member to draw theweft threads into and hold them in said tubular member under normaltension, said other free end of the tubular member being subject byreason of its resilience to vibration due to loom operation and actingby reason of said vibration to subject the weft threads to constantreadjustment to prevent their entanglement in the tubular member.

11. In a weft replenishing loom having a magazine provided with reservebobbins from which weft threads extend toward a support mounted on theloom adjacent the magazine, that improvement which comprises aninherently resilient hollow member mounted on the support and the normalposition of which is transverse of the direction in which the weftthreads extend from the reserve bobbins toward the support, said hollowmember movable from normal position toward the reserve bobbins andtending by the inherent resilience thereof to return to normal position,and means to create sub-atmospheric pressures Within the hollow memberto draw the weft threads into and hold them in the hollow member undernormal tension, said hollow member being yieldable from normal positiontoward the reserve bobbins when abnormal tension exists in any giventhread extending from the reserve bobbins into said hollow member toreduce the liability of Weft thread breakage ue to the abnormal tension.

RICHARD G. TURNER.

